Improvement in folding-chairs



E. G. STANLEY. Folding-Chairs.

No. 200,100.- Patented Feb. 5,1878.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELBRIDGE G. STANLEY, OF FITGHBUBG, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING-CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,100, dated February 5, 1878; application filed July 27, 1877.

.companying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a side view of my chair when unfolded. Fig. 2 is a lateral vertical section of the same with the back 0 folded. Fig. 3 is a side view of my chair when folded complete.

My invention relates to the class of folding chairs haying the seat supported by crossbars, which are secured to the legs at or near their upper ends, which legs are pivoted together at or near their centers, and having the back pivoted to the legs below the seat.

My invention consists in constructing the back, legs, and seat of a folding chair in such manner as to secure the folding and unfolding of the back without disturbing the seat when in position for use, and to give a strong support for the back; also, in securing a parallel and compact folding of the several parts, and to prevent the same from being folded or unfolded in a wrong direction.

. To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the exact manner in which I have carried it out.

In the drawings, Arepresents the front or outer leg frame, which is constructed of two legs or standards. The upper end of each is left with a flat end surface for the standards of back-frame O to rest upon, as shown in Fig. 1, which standards are connected together, near their upper ends, by cross-bar h, which supports the back part of seat E, while the lower parts of the legs are left unconnected, thereby leaving an open space in front for the feet of the occupant, and which also allows the rear or inner frame B to be folded between and parallel with the same.

On the back of and secured to the legs of frame A by one or more screws are stops k, which prevent the upper part of frame B from passing through, and which'also fold and press the flexible seat E against the legs of frame B when the chair is folded, which also prevents the opening of the seat in a wrong direction.

Stops k can be made in other forms and secured to the legs in other ways. The operation, however, would be the same.

B represents the rear or inner leg frame, which is also constructed of two legs or standards, which are connected together at their upper ends by cross-bar g, which supports the front of seat E, and the lower part is connected together by cross-bar c.

It will be evident that additional cross-bars can be usedin frame B, if desirable; also, that the lower half of the legs of the same may be curved back to give more bracing support to the chair, if required.

The legs of frame B are made shorter than the legs of frame A, the upper half of which (the pivot 01 being the dividing-line) are made short enough to allow the same to be folded between and parallel with legs of frame A, while the lower half is made sufficiently short to give the seat E the desired position for use.

Frames A and B are pivoted together at or near their centers by means of rivetsd or their equivalent.

0 represents the back-frame, which is made of uniform width with frame A, and which is constructed of two standards, which are connected together in a suitable manner, at or near their upper ends, by cross-piece f. The lower ends of these standards are left with a flat end surface, which, when the back-frame G is in position for use, rests directly upon the upper ends of the legs of frame A, as shown in Fig. 1.

The standards of frame 0 are provided with metallic straps D, the pivoting ends of which are offset from the line of these standards sufficiently to allow the same, when pivotedto the legs of frame A, to be folded parallel with and close upon the same, as shown in Figs. 2

and 3.

Straps D are each formed of one piece of metal or its equivalent, one end of which is secured to the outside and lower end of each standard of frame 0 by screws or their equiv alent, and the other end is pivoted to the outside of legs of frame Aby rivets b or their It will appear evident that straps attached to the inside of standztrds of frames 2 V V V 7 200,100

7 equivalent as shewn in the drawings, thereby securing e'firm and safe back-support for the occupant.

I do not confine "myself 1 exclusively to the shefpeof stm'p'D' its shown in my drawings; for other forms may be used. llheir opera-V tiou, however, would be the szune; V V V v V D can be A and O, and may also be applied to both sides ofeach at the same time, or'the stand am-dsmay be slnttedyen'd strapsiD seeured in, sand to the same. 0 However; I eonsider the at -"taehing; of straps D to the out-side oi" the 1 f stendardsas the bestiwuy Thehuek of my chair can be was 01 1m felded" without'elosing up frames A and B, thereby ehan ging it from mohair to a, camp-V 5 stool, ZtlldViCG-VBTSEL without: disturbing the V seat E when; opened for use." r

I purpose to have some of my chairs eonstructed with frame-seets in which case the V V buekpurt 0f the seat-frame would he hinged 111. 34 suitztblemminet t0 eitherthe tress-bur I1" i i i r represents afleXibIesea-t or the legs of frame A, and thefront part provided with mstop on the under side; of the i seat, teprevent the cross-bar g from escaping 7 from under the same.

' When my chair thus madeis making the whole very compact.

attached 7 to erossbers g and It in flie ordinmiywey.

H Ewing thus described my invention, whet 1 claim as new,und desire to secure by Let,

tersPetent; is r r The ba ek Qof unfolded over the legsB without disturbing the seat when epened fol use, and; supperted V n Z 7 directly by frame A when opened, suhsten-V r :iiaHyztsspeeifiec1L re V fi U I i i I V ELBRIDGE G. STANLEY.

Witnesses:

7R. LNU ING, V 1 L.-H.BR.AJ)FOBD.;

ieidednp the V 7 seat drops hetween standards; ef'fmme G, i V: it 1 

